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For Entrepreneurs: How to Handle Complaints Like a Pro

I am sure you received complaints before. If you are not careful, too many complaints can bring an entrepreneur's business down to its knees. Praying won't help. You have to do whatever it takes to provide the utmost grade A service or product. Now, how do you do just that? Simple. Follow these tips and you'll be handling complaints like a pro. You'll be having your customers lining up, begging to buy from you. They'll be yelling from the roof top proclaiming to the world how much they love you and your product/service. How's that sound? Cool.

Tip #1. Resolve problems FAST.

The faster the resolution, the higher the chance for maintaining and keeping loyalty. Research has proven that 95% of complaining customers would remain loyal if their complaint is resolved on the first contact. That number drastically dropped to below 70% when the complaint was not immediately resolved. So don't drop the ball on the first call. Act quick.

Tip #2. Give Them Something FREE

Yes, free. It could be in the form of coupons, samples, or anything you can think of. The best thing you can do is actually give a refund PLUS the actual product/service they received. I have a friend, that leads seminars and what he does is offer everyone not satisfied a refund plus a $100 to boot. You can't lose there. Never make the customer feel like they'll lose when buying from you. Always make it a win- win- win for them.

Employee attitudes are vital factors in restoring the goodwill of customers who have experienced a problem. Handling complaining customers is no easy task for the average person. As an entrepreneur and as the leader, hiring employees with the best skills for customer service will significantly increase loyalty Customers like dealing with a person who is respectful, professional, sympathetic and understanding.

Tip# 4. Get feedback

When a customer complains, ask them, what you can do better your product and service. This takes being humble about your service or product. Yes, no one is perfect. By having constructive feedback, you'll be able to improve your business and decrease customer complaints by ten fold.

BONUS: Give incentive for feedback. How does this work, you ask? Let people participate in surveys, polls, and forms, AND by doing so, they'll get a bag of goodies. It could be money, coupon, etc. ANYTHING.

Now, go out there grow your business and handle complaints like a pro, turning your once unhappy customer to a loyal jumping Lassie (that famous dog that's always happy).